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(No Model.)

C., A. STERLING. PIPE GASING PoR SUBMARINB ROCK DRILLS. No'. 298,251.

`,'ened May 6,1884.

Y rEicE,D

CHARLES A. STERLING, 0E NEW YORK, N.- Y.

PIPE-CASING FOR SUBIVIAR'INE -ROCK-DRILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,251, dated MayA 6, 1884.

6 Application filed January i6, 1882.' (No model To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. STERLING, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the State of New York, haveV invented a new and useful Pipe-Casing for Submarine Rock-Drilling, of which the following is a specification.

In submarine rock-drilling the drill-hole has very frequently to be cleaned of sand and debris or fragments of rocks during the operation. When the desired depth of the hole is pbtained, the same must be cleaned out and then plugged up, preparatory to receiving the cartridge, and then the cartridge has to be placed in the hole. All these operations require at present the services of a diver, which occasions considerable expense and delays the operation more or less, according to the state of the water, the current, and the v.depth of water abovethe rock operated upon. v

In a channel-way excavated in a river or harbor where rock is met requiring to be blasted away, the inconvenience of the drillhole filling with sand and debris washed away from the excavated sides of the channel is considerably increased and requires more frequent cleaning out of the drill-hole.

To guide the drill end at the beginning of the operation, to keep the drill-hole clean of sand or dbris of rock ioating in the water during the operation, to clean out the hole perfectly during the operation and after the drilling-tool is removed, to charge the drillhole with the required cartridges preparatory to blasting, and to perform all the above 0perations without the need of the services of a diver, forms the object of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing a vertical section of my improved pipe-easing is repre sented. l

A is a heavy cast-iron pipe socket, vto the lower end of which a strong wrought-iron pipe, B, is attached, of asize corresponding with the diameter of the drill, to act as a guide for the same when first startin g the drillhole.

To the upper end of the socket A a pipe, C, enlargedtoward the upper end, is attached, extending either above the water-lead when the lower pipe, B, .rests upon the rock, or provided with an internal pipe, D, sliding freely in vdrill-hole to within a short distance of the end of the drilling-tool T. The upper end of this pipe J is connected to aforce-pump (not shown in the drawing) or to a water tank or accumulator, for the purpose of forcing a strong stream of water through this 'pipe J into the drill-hole. rlhis branch F and tube G are only Y for the purpose of guiding the pipe J in its downward motion into the pipe B and the drill-hole, and the same may be dispensed with and the pipe J passed through the central part of the pipe-casing downward into the drill-hole; but I prefer the arrangement of the guiding-tube G, so as to keep the central part of the pipe-casing perfectly free and clear for the operation of the drilling-tool. socket A is likewise provided with a branch,

VH, extending some distance upward, or to which a pipe, K, extending a short distance upward, is attached.

To the lower end of the nozzle or branch H an injector-nozzle, L, extending a short distance into the mouth of the pipe K, is arranged to the outer end of which a pipe, N, is connected, extending upward above the surface of the water and the Working-platform P, and

is then connected with a force-pump, (not shown in the drawing, or its equivalent,) for the purpose of forcing a strong stream of wa- Thel ter through said pipe N and nozzle L into the v pipe K, to operate similar to an injector.

Theoperation is as follows: The pipe-casing consisting of the socket A, pipe B, and pipe C, either with or without the telescopepipe D, is placed upon the rock where the hole is to be drilled, and guided at its upper end on the working-platform P. The drilling-tool f Tis then lowered through said casing and the drilling-machine fixed labove the pipe-casing and connected to the drilling-tool, when the IOO operation of drilling may commence. The

lower pipe, B, corresponding with the end of the drill, will form a guide for the same while entering the rock. The beginning of the hole made by the drill will always be considerably larger than the diameter of the drill until the hole has been bored some depth, after which it will correspond with the size of the drill. This naturally-formed bell-shaped opening or mouth of the drill-hole will allow the end of the pipe-easing to enter some distance into the hole, and any floating sand or debris will fill up around the outer side of the pipe B in the mouth or bell-shaped part a of the hole, whereby the lower end of the pipe-casing will be naturally packed and held irmly in the drill-hole during the further operation. At the same time any external sand iioating in the water and washed away from the sides of an excavated channel-way will be prevented entering the drill-hole during the time the pipe-easing remains in the same. The pipe J is then lowered into the drill-hole, either through the guiding-tube G or through the central part of the pi pe-casing, and astream of water forced through said pipe J into the drill-hole by means of a suitable force-pump or its equivalent. At the same time a stream of water is forced through the pipe N by means of a suitable force-pump or its equivalent, which, escaping at the end of the nozzle-pipe L into the branch pipe K, will create a strong current upward, operating similar to an injector, and while the water forced into the drill hole through pipe J agitates the sand and groundup rock in the drill-hole and forces the same upward, the current produced in the pipe K will carry the same away through said pipe K, and thus perfectly cleans the drill-hole, whereby the efficiency of the drilling operation lwill likewise be increased. VThen the drill-hole has attained the desired depth and the drilling-tool T has been withdrawn,thepipe J is lowered to the bottom of the hole, to clean the same thoroughly, forcing all particles of sand and dbris through the pipe K, in consequence of the action of the injector arrangement in said pipe. The pipe J is then withdrawn and the supply of water through the pipe N stoppcd, when the cartridges for blasting are lowered down through the pipe-casing into the drill-hole, the upper cartridge being provided with the necessary wires for igniting the charge. In case two or more holes are desired to be drilled, before charging and blasting the same a smaller pipe may be lowered through the pipe-casing into the hole, extending above the water-line, whereby the hole will be plugged, and through which hereafter the same can be charged with the required cartridge. The

pipe-casing is then withdrawn, either after the hole has been charged with the required cartridges or after the saine has been plugged up by a temporary pipe, as above mentioned,

and is ready to be placed in another position for drilling another hole.

Another advantage of using a pipe-casing for submarine rock-drilling, through which the drilling-tool passes, is that thereby the rock-drilling tool will be protected from the effect of a very strong current upon the drilling-tool, which, if of any considerable length and without any such protection, easily bends by a strong current of the water, and thereby the operation of drilling` is much retarded. l

From the above it will be perceived that all these operations above described can be performed without the services of aodiver by the arrangement and use of this pipe-casing from the surface of the water or from the working-platform.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with a rock-drill for submarine drilling, the herein-described pipecasing, in combination with -an ejector branch, H K, pipe L N, and movable pipe J, said pipes N and J being connected to suitable force-pumps, or their equivalents, the whole being arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as specified.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rock-drill, tubular inclosing-case, and an independent tube extending longitudinally within said inclosing-casc, whereby the fluid under pressure is discharged upon the debris in the neighborhood ol" the bit of said drill.

3. The combination, substantially as hercinbefore set forth, of a rock-drill, a tubular inclosing-case, au independent tube extending longitudinally within said inclosing-case and terminating in proximity to the bit of said drill for discharging asti-cam ol' [luid under pressure upon the debris surrounding said bit, and a discharge-opening formed in the side of said inclosing-case.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of arock-drill, a cylindrical inelosing-case, and an ejector consisting of a pipe extending from the upper extremity of said inelosing-case and terminating within a discharge-tube leading from the lower portion of said case.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rock-drill, an inclosingcase consisting ot' two or more telescoping cylindrical sections surrounding the upper portion of said drill, a tubular extension of less diameter surrounding the lower portion of said drill, an intervening conically-tapering section, and a discharge opening or tube branching from said tapering section.

(3l-IAS. A. STERLING.

Vitnesses:

HENRY E. ROEDER, SIDNEY WARD.

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